One of the most expensive parts of visiting Disney is the cost of admission. There are some things you can try to save a few bucks (and not overspend) and we list them here for you.

1. Consider the ages of your family. Children two years of age and under are free! The one thing people don’t realize is that as long as your child is two when you check in, tickets will be free! The same is true for older kids as well. As long as your child is nine at checkout, you’ll be charged the child rate. This is good to keep in mind when planning your vacation.

2. Think about the type of ticket you will REALLY use. There are base tickets which entitle you to one park per day for the amount of days you have purchased. There are upgrades like the Park Hopper, Water Parks Fun and More and No Expiration tickets. Each one could be worth it to your family IF you are definitely going to use it. Here are tips on how to use each one to get the most out of it.

Park Hopper. This ticket allows you to visit more than one park in a day. To get the most of out of your day, plan to visit a park with an Extra Magic Hour in the morning. Then, hop over to another park which stays open later. Think about if “hopping” is a priority for your family and your plans. I know many people that planned on it and only ended up using it once.

Water Park Fun and More. This ticket gives you access to the two water parks, as well as DisneyQuest two mini-golf courses, Disney’s Oak Trail Golf course and ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. What most people do is total the number of days they will be in the park and then purchase that number of daily passes. YOU ARE OVERPAYING!When you upgrade to this ticket, you get as many park ticket days as you get water parks (and more). For example: if you buy a four day Water Park and More ticket, you would get four days in the theme parks AND four days in the water parks/mini-golf/etc. That is eight days worth of tickets! If you plan on visiting a water park, this ticket is worth it. It only cost about the price of a one day pass for the water park as the entire upgrade, now matter how many days you get.

No Expiration. You can upgrade your ticket so that it never expires. Tickets expire 10 days after first use. By upgrading them, you can use them for longer. If you have tickets left over that you haven’t used, it is worth doing so you don’t lose them! Don’t upgrade them until you are about to check out- you only want to pay for the days that require the No Expiration! If you plan on going back, you can buy a 10 day pass (this is the lowest per day cost), use some tickets and upgrade to No Expiration. You avoid the the cost increase of park tickets each year and got the tickets for the lowest price. Keep in mind that tickets are non-transferrable so the same guests would need to use them.

3. Special Events. Every year, Disney hosts events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. These events require additional tickets. If you are visiting the Magic Kingdom during one of these events, you will have to exit by 7 pm. Your park hopper pass will not give you admission.

If you want to attend one of these events, pass on the day pass and purchase admission to the event instead. Spend the day relaxing at the pool and head to the park at 4 pm!

4. Plan a longer visit. For every day you are in the park, the price decreases. This really comes into play once you purchase a four day park ticket. Planning a longer trip might result in bigger savings.

5. Annual Pass. If you plan on visiting any of the Disney parks eleven (11) or more days in a year, you might want to purchase an annual pass. The pass is valid for one year from the date of purchase.

6. Florida resident discount. This is where you live can make a difference. In order to get this discount, you will need to provide proof of residency. This residency discount applies only to your tickets. That means you can not purchase tickets for others.

7. Military Servicemen and Women. There are reduced rates for active and retired members of active duty, reserve, Coast Guard, National Guard. Military Identification is required. Tickets can be purchased in advance at a military base.

This is a popular destination, so there are not really too many discounts on your admission. However, these are some things you should know before you spend money on getting into the park(s).

I'm Tracie! Several years ago, my husband and I found a way to work ourselves out of more than $35,000 in debt. As a result of our journey, we now help families learn to do the same. I share my tips on life, family and finances - to help others achieve this same goal of living a debt free life! Learn more about me and my family HERE.